There have been several disclosures to remedy xerostomia, or dry mouth in the literature. U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,537 discloses a sugarless gum which contains a relatively insoluble, hydrophobic acid, preferably adipic acid. The patent discloses that the acid is released over a 20 to 30 time period that enhances the salivary flow rate into the mouth.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,506 discloses the use of from 2 to 3 weight percent organic acid, a sweetener and a saturated calcium phosphate solution. U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,654 discloses the use of from about 4 to 70 weight percent xylitol as a method for treating xerostomia. U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,378 discloses compositions that contain Yerba Santa extract and sweetener that may be formulated in a gum or lozenge form to treat dry mouth.
Despite the disclosures of the prior art there is an ongoing need for the products that treat xerostomia, preferably in an easy to use form such as a gum or lozenge.